


Of Storms and Other Happenings

by Hyrulehearts1123



Series: Midsummer's Children [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: John Winchester Being an Asshole, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Sammy is a sweet child, Think again., You thought this series was fluffy?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2018-11-03 01:03:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10956447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyrulehearts1123/pseuds/Hyrulehearts1123
Summary: The next two months passed with little fanfare, and as the summer drew to a close, and the temperature began to cool. Gabriel had almost expected something to happen, but as time passed and nothing did, and the Archangel found himself easing into a tentative calm.But everyone knows; change is inevitable, and if there's the slightest chance that something can go wrong, it will.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Blame my drive home from vacation for this. It started storming, and that was that.
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
>  
> 
> THIS WORK IS POSTED TO ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN BY THE AUTHOR, AND ONLY TO ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN. IF YOU FIND THIS OR ANY OF MY STORIES POSTED ON ANY OTHER SITE, IT HAS BEEN STOLEN AND POSTED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.

           

The next two months passed with little fanfare, and as the summer drew to a close, and the temperature began to cool. Gabriel had almost expected something to happen, but as time passed and nothing did, and the Archangel found himself easing into a tentative calm.

But everyone knows; change is inevitable, and if there's the slightest chance that something can go wrong, it will.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

It had started one September evening, when the sky was dark with storm clouds, and the world was filled with the sound of rain hitting the house. Thunder boomed in the area around the house, causing the very foundation of the building to shake as lightning struck nearby.

The lights flickered as a bolt threatened to knock the power out, causing Dean to flinch back further into the couch, holding his wolf tight. Why did it have to rain hard enough to make the lights flicker? The very first thing that John had made sure he knew was the signs of demonic influence, and guess what was at the top of the list?

Sam was pressed into Dean's side, and it was more than easy to feel Sam's field of psychic influence as he tried to figure out what was bothering his brother, as well as attempting to calm him down. _“De, what's wrong? Why are you so scared?”_ He asked, trying his hardest to understand, but he just wasn't old enough yet, at least that's what Dean kept telling himself.

“It's nothing Sammy. I just don't like the thunder.” He whispered, more to convince himself than anything else. When another flash of lightning lit the sky, followed closely by booming thunder, Dean flinched again at the sound, before freezing.

The lights weren't turning back on.

No. No. No no no no, this could not be happening. Gabe had said that the house was safe, and that nothing could attack it. But did his wards include humans? A storm like this was perfect for someone to use for cover to hide their tracks, or the sound of them approaching, and it made the dirt softer, making it easier to hide o body.

He was getting really dizzy, and- wait, when did it get hard to breathe? Was something happening? What was going on?

“-ean……. hear me?”

Everything was really fuzzy, and it was like reality was fading in and out. When had he ended up on the floor?

“-to me…….. need to breathe….”

Breathe? But he was already doing that, right? Yeah, it was getting a little hard to do it, but he was still ok, right? Whoa, scratch that. Pretty sure the black things overtaking his vision weren't good.

 

-right, Castiel…….. take Sam……. Kitchen…...”

ok no, that couldn't happen. Sam couldn't leave, it wasn't safe for Sam to be anywhere but with him, Sammy didn't know how to protect himself yet.

Something cool and solid surrounded him, holding him tight enough to feel good, but it wasn't confining. Whatever was underneath him rumbled softly, and he felt himself press into the feeling, trying to get closer to the rumbling.

Meaningless sounds started reaching him, slowly drawing the mindless panic away, and leaving a sense of peace unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

“There we go child, all you need to do is breathe.” Someone said, before something shifted. “I have it from here. Go make sure the others are alright.”

Several moments passed, and as Dean's eyes started drooping from exhaustion, he heard a final whisper as a cool hand was placed on his forehead. “Now then, what caused you so much fear child? Surely you know you are safe here, don't you?”

Before he could gather the thought required for an answer, he was asleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Sam sat in his usual seat in the kitchen, tears slowly falling as he clutched his stuffed moose tightly. He hated having to see his brother like that. He thought that it was over, that he wouldn't have to see that happen again, but it still happened anyway.

Gabriel was moving around the kitchen quickly, heating water and pulling out mugs and mixing things and making just enough to help set Sam's mind at ease, but staying quiet enough to not overwhelm him. Sam appreciated his efforts. It had been a long time since he had felt safe enough to let his own emotions show after having to see Dean go through that, usually he had to hold it all in until after his brother was asleep so he could provide stability.

But this time was different.

Almost as soon as they had realized what was happening, Gabriel and Lucifer had swept in and taken control of the situation, reassuring Sam that Dean would be alright, and taking him out of the room so he wouldn't have to watch Dean break down any longer than he had to.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when Gabriel sat a mug in front of him, smiling gently as he sat down in the seat next to him. “Well, that was certainly an eventful five minutes. Any clue what caused it?” He asked gently, taking a sip from his own mug.

Sam slowly unwrapped one of his arms from his moose, and pulled his mug closer to him. Carefully tracing the cartoonish moose and dogs painted onto the mug, Sam sniffled and shook his head.

Ok, that was kinda a lie. It could've been one of three things (even though two of them didn't matter anymore), but even then he really, _really_ didn't want to try to explain it.

Gabriel watched him, probably trying to guess whether or not Sam knew more than he was letting on, before shrugging and taking another sip from his drink. “It doesn't matter right now. For now, I want you to drink that and try to calm down. Can you do that for me Sam?”

Sam slowly started reaching for the handle to the mug, only to jerk back in barely contained fear when yet another crash of thunder shook the house. Clinging to his moose, he buried his face between it's antlers and tried his hardest to stifle his silent sobs.

They were busy enough trying to calm Dean down, they didn't need him melting down either.

“Oh Sam, what did he do to you two to make you react to a simple storm like this?” Sam felt himself being pulled into Gabriel's warm chest, and a gentle hand began rubbing his back soothingly. “I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, and I'm not gonna look, but I know that you're hurting right now, probably even more than you can fully realize. But I promise you this: nothing is going to happen to you and your brothers tonight during this storm. Neither myself or my brother will allow it. Understand?”

Sam sniffled, before shifting to where he was leaning on Gabriel. He knew that neither of his guardians would let anything happen to him if they could prevent it, but even that knowledge didn't help to ease the dread slowly building in the center of his chest.

Something was coming. Something big.

Something dangerous.

 

 

 

* * *

 

If there was anything that Lucifer had learned about the children in the time he'd been staying with them, it was that their past was complicated and painful. From the first moment he'd met Dean, and instantaneously threatened him over the safety of the child held in his arms, he knew he wasn't dealing with someone who was like his older brother, but instead Dean was more like both him and Gabriel. Fiercely protective of their younger siblings, even to the point of going after those far stronger than they were if there was any chance their brother could get hurt.

When the power had gone out, Dean had been sent into a state of uncontrollable panic, forcing Lucifer to send him to sleep before he could potentially hurt himself. Judging from the near incomprehensible thoughts that were running through the boy's head before he fell asleep though, it was rather clear that there was far more damage done to the child's mental and emotional health than Gabriel had suspected.

From suspicions that the rain could hide a person sneaking up on the house, to fearing Sam being taken away forever, Dean's mental state was so fragile that all it took was a simple power outage for him to shut down completely.

And if a power outage had caused the sheer panic that they'd seen this afternoon, what kind of reaction would come about if something serious were to actually happen?

Now that he thought about it, Dean had been sleeping for quite some time now, almost thirty minutes in fact. Searching through Nick's memories (and what a surprise that had been. Though the man's soul had been sent onwards to Heaven, his memories had remained in the vessel), he saw that those who suffered panic attacks often fell unconscious for a time afterwards, as a way for their minds to cope with the stress and anxiety without completely overloading the conscious thought. There wasn't much more information than that to be found in the man's memories, other that a note to look up more on the subject.

That note had been scribbled out and thrown away after his wife had been killed. It seemed the reminder was simply too painful for the man to bear.

He frowned as the storm outside continued to rage, seemingly centered upon the home that his brother had found. Perhaps it was mere chance, and it would pass naturally, but to think that would mean ignoring the act that it hadn't moved an inch in the last half hour.

Reaching out with his Grace. he felt a chill as he fully comprehended the true nature of the storm. His brothers had found him at last, and they were not pleased.

 

* * *

 

 

“ _Brother, I need you to come make sure that Dean will be alright.”_

The voice came suddenly, and was filled to the brim with barely restrained panic. Panic that Gabriel hadn't heard from his brother since the day everything started to go wrong.

 _“Lucifer? What's the matter?”_ He asked, motioning to Sam and Cas to stay in the kitchen before walking to the living room.

“I don't have time to explain, take him and hope they don't find you.” Lucifer rushed out, placing Dean in Gabriel's arms before moving towards the front door quickly.

“What do you mean? Who would find us?” He practically begged for answers, needing some kind of explanation as to his brother’s near frantic behavior.

Lucifer groaned, eyes wide in barely restrained terror. “Think little brother, who would be the only ones to not only learn that I somehow escaped, but also where I am, and have the power to destroy any safe haven I found with no regard for any innocents that may still be inside?”

Staring frozen at the door where his brother had been standing, Gabriel tightened his grip on Dean, who was starting to awaken.

There were only three brings in existence who could draw that kind of panic from Lucifer. One of which had been imprisoned from before the creation of the universe, one had vanished without a trace, and would set off millions of alarms if He decided to make Himself known, and the last one…….

Well, the last one had been left to watch over the universe, and had one giant test of Free Will very, very soon, and countless millennia being told to kill his brother should he ever gain freedom.

“Gabe? What's wrong?”

Turning back to face the rest of the house, his heart nearly broke as he saw Sam clutch nervously at Castiel’s shirt, both of them staring up at him with wet eyes that were barely containing their tears.

“Guys, we're gonna be fine! Luci just went to go check on some stuff nearby, that's all. He thinks that the storm may have knocked one of the generators out, and he wanted to go see if he could get it working, or if we'll have to call an electrician after the storm passes.” Dear Father he hated lying to the boys.

Castiel tilted his head in confusion. “Then why didn't you go? Wouldn't you have more experience with technology than he would?”

Crap. Not good. “He figured that having me here would help you kids stay calmer. You have to admit, he's not exactly the most emotionally sensitive.” There. Maybe that would stop them from asking too many questions. But how to distract them for a while……

Finally having some semblance of a plan, Gabriel grinned as he set the incredibly groggy Dean down to stand on his own. “Ok, how about this. Why don't we all head up to you boys’ room, and we all build a fort? I'm telling ya, we have not used that bunk bed to it's fullest potential!”

After Castiel had broken through the wards, it had been the easiest option to get rid of the two twin beds that Sam and Dean had been using, and put up a bunk bed instead, with a twin mattress on top, and a double on the bottom that was more than big enough for all three boys to share if Sam had a hard time sleeping.

Well, it seemed it was time to find out if it could comfortably fit three boys, a baby, and an Archangel with a full grown vessel so he could properly protect them if it came down to it.

“You kids go on upstairs and start hunting down blankets and pillows. I'm gonna grab Adam from the kitchen and grab some snacks. Sound good?” The boys all nodded, and rushed towards the stairs with various levels of enthusiasm.

Walking back into the kitchen, Gabriel lifted Adam from where he was sleeping in his highchair and cradled him in his arms. The kid was getting big, he'd probably try to start crawling soon.

Sighing softly, he started pulling various snack foods and assorted supplied out and putting them in Adam's diaper bag. “You and your brothers really have it good, you know that?” He mumbled to the child, knowing full well that he couldn't hear him. “The three of you haven't been separated since you went to live with them. Me? I finally got my big brother back, and now I'm probably about to lose him again, but this time I might not ever get him back again, even if this time was just a fluke.”

Finishing gathering everything he figured he'd need, Gabriel closed the diaper bag and picked it up. “Now, lets see how your big brothers are doing.” He cooed, and was about to start making his way towards the stairs when Dean rushed in, panic in His eyes.

"Have you seen Sammy? Me and Cas can't find him anywhere!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter didn't want to be written, so its barely half of what I wanted it to be. All I can say is enjoy the ending.

Sam knew what he was doing was risky. He knew that what he was doing was stupid. But more than that, he knew that he had to do it.

And as he crept through the woods, rain soaking through his clothes, bare feet getting covered in mud and poked by sticks and rocks, he had to admit to himself that some more planning probably could be been put into this mission, assignment, whatever this thing he was doing could be called.

But that would be taken time. Time he really didn't have to spare. As it was he was behind schedule. Actually, it might work out better for him to show up a little later, as opposed to right away. Either way though, he didn't have much time left, and he still had a lot of ground to cover.

Carefully crossing the log bridge, he gulped when he noticed that the water level of the creek had risen a lot, almost covering the log.

Breathing deeply, he tried to stay calm as he felt the speed of the water flow. It really wouldn't be good if he fell in. Yeah he was already wet, but he wasn't a strong swimmer yet, and there was no way he would reach where he needed to be if he fell in.

Finally making it to the other side, Sam took a moment to catch his breath. He'd never come out this far on his own before, only when Luci was taking him to the clearing to train, and he was usually carried most of the way.

Starting to walk once more, he yawned softly. He was using too much energy to mask himself from the two that could destroy him, and the two that would stop him if they found him.

Coming up to the edge of the clearing, he flinched back as he heard the shouts of anger and fear from the three beings no more than a few yards away. No weapons had been drawn yet, but if too much time passed they would be.

But he couldn't run in yet. He needed to wait just a few more moments…..

“Please brother, don't do this. There are innocents nearby, two children, an infant, and even a Fledgling that is yet to reach his first molt. Are you willing to destroy them in your haste to destroy me?”

He could hear Luci pleading, but not for his own sake. He was begging for enough time for Gabe and the others to get away safely.

A scoff from a strange voice. “Your counting has gotten worse over the years brother, you say there are three humans, but I sense only two. Unless one can hide from the most powerful beings, which would be impossible, then it seems that you are merely trying to find a way to extend your freedom!”

A sword forming. “Enough of this. Brother, you know as well as I what is to happen if you should break free of the Cage. You have two choices. Return to the Cage peacefully, or we will have our battle right here and now.”

That was far enough. With a final steadying breath, Sam ran out from the cover of the trees, shedding his shield and shoving past the two unknowns and towards Luci, jumping between him and the others.

_ “No! Stay back, he's supposed to be here helping me and keeping my brothers and I safe!” _ He projected loudly through the clearing, before being turned to face Luci, who was kneeling and fretting, checking for any injuries.

“Sammy, what are you doing out here, and without a coat or shoes at that? You were supposed to stay at the house with your brothers and Castiel! And hiding yourself the whole way?? Do you want to completely shut down again because you overdid it?”

Sam tried to fend off the hands that were running through his hair and over his clothes, and pouted.  _ “I'm sorry Luci, but I couldn't stay! Right after you left I got a headache, and then I saw something, and I had to come here and stop them from hurting you! If they did, then Gabe would fight too, and then-” _

He froze then, as images and visions of death and total destruction flooded his vision. Flashes of pain and suffering overtook him, and he fell into darkness.

  
  


 

* * *

 

 

 

 

As Sam fell forward, completely overwhelmed by visions of what could be, Lucifer was vaguely aware of his brothers rushing towards them, but as he wrapped his tattered wings around Sam, all else faded until his focus was entirely on the young psychic.

“Oh Sammy, you never do things halfway do you Little One?” He asked softly, carefully adjusting how he was holding the unresponsive child to where he would be comfortable. “You always have to put your all into what you do, even if it leads to your downfall.” Knowing his brothers would be preparing to attack before much longer, he glanced up at them, still shielding Sam from sight as best as he could.

As was expected, Michael was not happy, but he seemed calmer than Raphael, who looked ready to attack at a mere moment’s notice. Tightening his grip on Sam slightly, he finally spoke to the brother he hadn’t seen since the birth of humanity. “Michael, I beg you, I swore to protect both him and his family, please don’t make me abandon them.” He pleaded, begging for a chance to spend at least a few more moments with the children he had grown so fond of the last several months. 

Raphael scoffed, his blade held high in a threat that was clearly an attempt to provoke. “You, protect a human? You may have spent the most time watching over the hatchlings long ago, but admit it! You would never willingly spend time with a human!” He accused, and Lucifer couldn’t help but flinch back at his brother’s anger.

As much as he hated to admit it, his brother was somewhat correct. He did despise the vast majority of humanity. The scum had slowly brought ruin to the world his Father had created, destroying all the wonder and beauty and replacing it with monuments to their own egos.

And yet, in the two months that he had been with with Gabriel and the boys, he had felt little more than peace around the children. They had little understanding of privacy, largely due to having been confined to close quarters for much of their lives, but they also had a sense of innocence and curiosity to them that Lucifer had missed from the ages when he would raise the young ones in Heaven.

And once he had grown comfortable around the children, they began to show him the world as they knew it, pictures of sights on the road from stolen cameras, surprisingly talented drawings of the people they had met, and countless tales of the kindness of strangers. The kind elderly people who had helped to pay for food when there was not enough money, the woman in the apartment next to them that had let Sam and Dean walk her dog with her two years back, the store owners who had caught Dean shoplifting, but let him go and even gave him more food.

Looking straight at his brother, Lucifer smiled, knowing that despite all of the odds that had been against him, he had finally learned what their Father had tried to teach him so many years ago. “You’re wrong Raphael. These boys, they’ve shown me a side of humanity that I was incapable of seeing before. Yes, the humans destroy the earth with their careless arrogance, but they also show kindness when they know there will be no reward. They help those who have no way to help themselves. They love, to no other reason than because they are all broken, but maybe, just maybe, if they work together, they can be a little less broken.”

As he paused, he looked down at Sam, brushing sweat soaked hair off of the boy's forehead. “These boys have shown me how strong mortals can be. They have told me tales of kindness and hardship, and how the only reason they made it this far is because they had each other.” Looking back up to Michael, he made his final plea.

“Please brother, don't tear these boys from me. Don't make me put them through what I have already put our younger siblings through so many years ago.”

Prepared to accept whatever fate his brother decided of him, Lucifer bowed his head, holding Sam close for what may very well be the last time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this one is so short, but it was either cut it where I did, or it would end up way longer than needed, especially for what I have planned next. So I hope you enjoy, and hopefully the next chapter should be up soon.

Gabriel lay in Dean and Castiel’s bed, holding them close as Adam slept atop his chest. The two elder boys had finally fallen into a fitful sleep, far too worried about Sam to have much involvement in the construction of the blanket fort.

He was frustrated at the lack of any news from Lucifer, and fearful at what it could possibly mean for Sam.

The boy had ran off soon after Luce had left to go deal with their brothers, and Gabriel couldn't try to sense how things were going without announcing loud and clear where he was to the family he had worked so hard to avoid. And yet here they were, practically knocking his door down for how close they were to finding him at last.

When Dean curled closer, mumbling something unintelligible in his sleep, Gabriel pulled him closer, whispering soothing words to the child. The night would be long enough, there was no need to extend it by having Dean wake up.

A moment passed in relative silence, before Lucifer appeared in the room, eyes wide with barely restrained terror.

“I don’t have time to explain, take Sammy and get the boys to safety. Now!”  He whispered, and Gabriel carefully removed himself from the others, placing a hand on his borther’s shoulder. 

“Lucifer, calm down! What happened that has you so scared?” He questioned, taking Sam from his brother regardless.

Lucifer sighed heavily, his hands grabbing at his hair helplessly. “They’re both here Gabriel, Michael and Raphael. And it’s no secret what they want to do to me.”

Sitting on the bed, Gabriel held Sam close. THe only reason they hadn’t been found sooner was that the entire property had been warded to keep anyone from finding them, but against the force of both his older brothers, there wasn’t much he could do except wait and hope for the best.

“They let you come here though, didn’t they?”

Lucifer laughed sadly, shaking his head. THey let me bring sam back, and say goodbye to the boys. I’ve got to be back before ten minutes pass to face my judgement.” He looked up at Gabriel, eyes slowly filling with tears. “Sam’s powers overloaded him again. I don’t know how long he’ll be like this, but keep Dean close to him. I’m fairly sure they have a partial psychic bond.”

Gabriel nodded, his own eyes filling as he listened to his brother. “Do you want me to wake the others? They’re going to miss you greatly when you’re gone.” His voice broke at that, tears beginning to fall.

“Oh Gabriel,” Lucifer started, wrapping his brother in a comforting embrace with not only his vessel’s arms, but also with his wings. “I swear to you, if they cast me back into the cage, I will find a way back to you and the boys, no matter how long it takes.”

Gabriel rested his head on his brother’s shoulder, sinking into the embrace for what was far too likely to be the last time. “And if they decide to kill you? What then?” He whispered, hating himself for the childish fear he had of losing the only one of his older siblings who had truly understood him.

Lucifer was silent for a moment, before answering, his voice heavy with the tears he wouldn’t allow to fall. “If they must fight me, I’ll draw them away from here to give you time to escape. I will not let them hurt any of you.” After a moment, he pulled away, smiling softly. “I must leave. My judgment awaits me.”

“Be careful.” Gabriel begged, fighting to keep from breaking down completely at the sight of the now empty place where his brother once stood.

He needed to be strong for the boys. He couldn’t afford to be overcome with emotion should they need to retreat at an instant’s notice. But perhaps a few more tears wouldn’t hurt.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

He watched from a distance as Lucifer and another talked, the former warning the later of the fate that would soon await them should things go badly in the upcoming minutes.

And how they had both changed from the beginning, the rebel had learned to see what he once hated for how they were meant to be, and the one who had ran away had found something he would fight for, regardless of the cost. 

Yes, He thought to Himself, the two with the most potential had grown into wonderful guardians.

He would wait, and watch from the side a while longer. Perhaps if the other two could see the changes, then He wouldn’t have to interfere.

It was time for His youngest to play the part that he was created for.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Castiel didn’t want anyone to be upset anymore. That was why he had snuck out of the room While Gabriel was distracted.

Well, that and Luci shouldn’t have to leave. From the moment he had met his older brother, Luci had been one of the nicest of all his brothers, even though that didn’t really count for much. All the others but Balthy had rejected him the moment his feathers had started to gain their colors, and his biggest brothers never left their private garden anymore, so he’d only ever heard whispers of what they used to be like when things were still ok.

He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty though. He knew just how panicked everyone got when Sam had snuck out, but just like Sam had been needed to give Luci a few minutes to talk to Gabriel, he needed to sneak out as well. He just wasn’t sure why yet though.

And yet, as he drew closer to where his biggest brothers were, he had a feeling he would be finding out. And soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me. This had to happen.

Standing in the clearing where he taught Sam how to better control his powers, where the children had begun opening up to him about the things they had been through before the Summer Solstice had led to them living with Gabriel, and where he had learned to see humanity as more than just a scourge to the planet his Father had created, Lucifer gazed at his brothers, awaiting his judgment for a second time.

He had been incredibly fortunate the first time when they had allowed him to leave in order to take Sam back to the house, as such a thing was not likely to happen again.

And yet, as he stood there, he couldn’t help but notice how long Michael had been watching him in silence, and Raphael’s enraged fuming wasn’t something that was easily ignored either. Neither was the muted feeling of fear from Gabriel, but it was hidden so well it was likely that the others would mistake it as Lucifer’s own.

Growing tired of the waiting, Lucifer sighed, watching his older brother with a mask of boredom. “Well, get on with it, or I might just return to my flock to care for the children. They were not happy when I had to leave them.” He practically lectured, the words coming out far more bitter than he had originally intended. “After all, right before you showed up, I had just finished calming the oldest after he had a panic attack so large he lost consciousness. And the psychic that followed me is now unresponsive, because his powers are overwhelming him without me there to keep them at bay.”

Knowing he had his brothers’ undivided attention, he carried on. “Those boys have been through far too much for their young age. Did you even realize that their father abandoned them often, and even sold Sam for little more than revenge? Or that Dean was forced into being a hunter before he was even old enough to go to school, and forced to be a parent to not just one, but two younger siblings? Or-”

“Enough Lucifer.” Michael cut him off then, holding up a hand to keep Raphael quiet as well. “I believe I’ve heard all that I need to.”

Knowing his judgment was at hand, he spared a glance towards the house, hidden by nearly a mile and a half of trees, only to freeze when he meet the deep blue eyes of Castiel, who was crouching, his small, black wings fluttering softly behind him, prepared to fly out into the clearing at any moment, despite not having his flight feathers yet, and a large portion of his soft, down feathers had been damaged when he had crashed through Gabriel's wards when he attempted to search for his caretaker after he had abandoned him.

And just as he expected, right as Michael opened his vessels mouth to say something, Castiel, brave, foolish Castiel, jumped out of the woods where he was hiding, running up to Lucifer, grabbing his hands and bouncing in a manner that was far too calculated to be just pure excitement.

“I'm ready for my flying lesson!” He exclaimed, face filled not with the joy he was trying to show Michael and Raphael, but with a stubborn determination that would have brought tears to Lucifer’s eyes were he allowed to show any hint of vulnerability.

Knowing exactly what his youngest brother was trying to do, Lucifer smiled sadly as he knelt down. “Alright Little One, but I’m afraid it’ll have to be a short one, because there are things that I need to do soon. Is that acceptable to you?” He asked, ignoring the shocked gasps from the other side of the clearing.

Castiel smiled sadly as well, nodding. They both knew time was short, but there was something else in the Fledgling’s eyes. More than just stubborn determination, it was something Lucifer couldn’t give an exact name to, but had felt for himself in the past. It was knowing that you had to do something, even though you didn’t know how, or even why.

“Alright. First I want you to show me what you remember from our last lesson.” He instructed, watching as Castiel ran through the same steps all Fledglings learned when learning to fly. He carefully stretched each wing out, before flapping them slowly, forcing leaves and raindrops to move in the breeze he was creating.

Lucifer smiled, and grabbed Castiel’s hands before continuing. “Now, I want you to angle your wings back more, until you force the air to move downwards. This is what allows lift, and from lift…” He trailed off, watching as despite having barely enough feathers to completely cover his delicate wings, Castiel managed to get nearly three inches off the ground.

“Comes flight, but how…?” Raphael whispered from where he was standing, staring at Castiel with a mixture of shock and confusion. “How do I not know you Young One? I have known every Fledgling to have been created, how did you escape my notice, especially when you are so young?”

Castiel froze, looking at Lucifer in barely contained terror for a moment before turning to face the others. “Umm, I, I mean, I was,” He mumbled, stepping back and clutching the sleeve of Lucifer’s shirt for comfort as he tried and failed to explain.

Sighing softly, Lucifer shook his head, and pulled Castiel closer, allowing the young Fledgling to cling to his neck and hide away from the stares of the Archangels on the other end of the clearing. “He wasn’t created as part of a larger generation, as I’m sure you already know. Father created him, and left him on the outskirts where he would be found by a patrol. And he was found, and almost immediately rejected due to the color of his wings.”

Taking a moment to hold Castiel and gather this thoughts, Lucifer continued explaining what the Fledgling was projecting through his Grace. “Balthazar took pity on him and raised him for a time, but eventually left as well. Castiel tried to look for him, only to stumble upon a portal to earth, but due to being too young to know how to fly, he…. I suppose one could equate it to tripping. Not quite falling in the sense we know it, but his decent was not one that could be called graceful. He crashed through the wards that surround this place, and was found by Dean, the eldest of the children who live nearby.”

Michael and Raphael both crept closer at that, until they were sitting mere feet away. “Brother, why are you here? I…. I thought you had no love for humans, or even the Younglings anymore, but now….” Michael trailed off, as Raphael reached out to help Lucifer move Castiel's delicate feathers back into place.

Lucifer was quiet for a long moment, before shaking his head and replying. “To be perfectly honest, I have been here for two months, and I have no idea how I was brought out of the Cage, or why.  The seals are still intact though, so either a spell we are unaware of was used, or He let me out on His own.”

No one said anything for several minutes, before Gabriel suddenly appeared in the center of them, reaching for Castiel and grabbing him quickly.

“Cassie, you seriously scared me! You can’t just run off like that, it’s dangerous out tonight, and I can’t keep running after you and Sam!” He scolded, ignoring his complaints before realizing where he was, turning around slowly to come face to face with the other two Archangels, who were staring at him in awe.

“Castiel, go back to the house, and stay with Dean. I have a feeling that the four of us will be here for quite some time.” Lucifer instructed, and as Castiel ran back towards the house, tiny wings folding against his back to protect them from harm, he couldn’t help but feel that he was in for a rather long evening.

Not that he was complaining too much. It had been far too long since all the Archangels were able to talk without drawing their blades towards one another, and a peaceful conversation was far overdue.

 

 

* * *

  


Unnoticed to all but one, a shadow crept into the house that Gabriel and Lucifer were raising the children in, sneaking into the room where Dean and Castiel were sleeping.

He watched closely as the two were torn away from their family in the night, and made a decision quickly, following unseen behind the figure as he escaped into the night.

He wasn’t going to reveal Himself quite yet, but He would keep watch over His youngest and the oldest of his Favored for this generation. The man may have taken the young, but there would not be any measure of harm coming to them.

Not while He was watching.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tired. Have a chapter.
> 
> I need sleep.

Dean woke up slowly, his head a lot fuzzier than he thought possible. He remembered having what was likely a panic attack, and building a really awesome fort with Gabe and Cas, but what had happened after that?

He sat up, or tried to at least. Before he could move more than a few inches, he collapsed back onto whatever he was laying on, head exploding in pain. A noise was coming from somewhere, high pitched and painful to listen to. What was making that sound?

“...need to be quiet Dean…… he can’t know…..”

Someone was talking to him. Wait, was he the one making that noise? He didn’t think so, but he guessed anything was possible.

The sound quieted slowly, and Dean became aware of the feeling of something running through his hair, and it felt really good. “......ok, now I just need to try…..” The voice whispered again, and a cold sensation filled his head, taking away some of the pain and fuzziness before leaving.

Opening his eyes slowly, he frowned when he saw little more than dark shapes, all towering over him, as if he were on the ground. Nothing looked like it did in his new room, or even in the rest of Gabe’s house, so where was he?

“I’m not sure either. Someone brought us here, someone that isn’t Gabe or Luci.” The voice responded, and Dean realized that he must have voiced his thoughts out loud, and that the voice was Castiel’s. At least he was with someone he knew.

“But…. thought no one can get in….” Dean mumbled, his words sounding weird when he tried to talk. His head was still really fuzzy too, and things seemed to be going a lot slower than they usually did.

There was a soft sigh, and Castiel sighed. “I don’t know what happened. I went to try to help Luci, and i was sent back to stay with you, and then someone came in our room, and then I woke up here, and something was keeping you asleep. I tried to clear it all out, but I’m not strong enough to do it by myself, so you’re probably gonna still feel kinda weird for a while.”

Dean frowned, trying to understand just what his friend was saying. “I was drugged?”

“I would assume. Whoever did it almost used too much though. A little more and you might not have woken up at all.” Castiel’s voice broke slightly at that, and suddenly Dean was hit with the reality of the situation.

He and Castiel had been kidnapped by someone, for some reason. Someone who had managed to slip past not one, but two Archangels, was capable of drugging a Fledgling Angel, and han nearly overdosed Dean with whatever they had used to knock him out.

Trying his hardest to stay calm, he closed his eyes against the almost oppressive darkness around him. “Cas, can you see anything? I can’t see in the dark as well as you can.”

There was silence for a moment, before Cas responded. “Not much. There’s a table and some chairs, as well as what looks like a heavily locked door on the far side of the room. We have chains on our ankles, which are connected to the floor several feet in front of us. There isn’t much else here, although there’s a door about ten feet away that might lead to a bathroom. The chains will allow us to go inside, but not much further. We can’t reach the door on the other side, I already tried.”

Dean tried shifting his leg, but the drugs were still affecting him. He just had to accept that Cas was telling the truth for now, and listen as he continued. “You’re currently wearing your pyjamas, and your stuffed wolf isn’t in the room with us. I have my pyjamas as well, but I also have my coat from going to help Luci. My wings are bound, as if whoever did this found a way to keep me from materializing them. My coat pockets have been emptied as well, so we don’t have any of the snacks i usually keep.”

“So what you’re saying is that we’re in trouble.” Dean summed up, coming to the conclusion that his head was probably on Cas’s lap, and that he was likely laying on his coat.

“Yes. The man seemed to know you though, he kept mumbling to himself before he drugged me, as you put it. Something about how you wouldn’t be getting away from him again.”

Dean frowned in confusion, trying to figure out who would be saying something like that to him, even though he was sleeping. Had a monster that he’d been used as bait for, but had gotten away managed to find them, and was trying to use him to get at his dad? Or was this a random encounter of Gabe’s that had ended badly? Either way it seemed a lot like a revenge plot, and it likely wouldn’t end well for either of them.

“Was the guy human or what?” He asked, his words still sounding really funny, almost like when Dad drank that weird smelling stuff too much and got really mad. “Cuz I think it was a revenge or something, but why would anyone want revenge on us? I mean yeah Sammy just started really practicing his psychic thingy, but he’s a good kid, he wont’t do anything with it.”

Cas stopped his awesome head rub for a moment, before he began running his fingers through Dean’s hair with more pressure than before, and in more places, which felt even better. “As far as I could tell he was human, but there was something off about him. Are you feeling ok? You aren’t making much sense, and there’s a really big bump on your head.”

Dean scoffed, his head getting fuzzy again. “I feel just fine! I mean I don’t wanna be anything but fine, and there’s nothing wrong, and I'm just happy to be here with you right now, and I-” He was cut off by a yawn, and giggled softly when he finished. He was just fine, couldn’t Cas tell?

“Something’s wrong. I think you hit your head too hard. You shouldn’t got to sleep. Can you tell me what you remember last? Dean? Dean, this isn’t funny, please open your eyes, Dean….”

  
  


* * *

 

 

“How did this happen?!?! How did anyone make it thorugh my wards, yet alone steal Cassie and Dean with all of us nearby?!?!” Gabriel raged, holding Adam close to his chest as he tried to comprehend what was going on.

First his older brothers come crashing through his wards and try to lock Lucifer up, then they declare that he was ok and could stay, at least for a conversation, and now two of his charges were stolen right out from under his nose! To make matters worse, Michael and Raphael had decided to stay and help, or to be more specific, stand around and pretend to be helpful, because that’s all that’s been done so far.

And to top it all off, Lucifer had gone who knows where the moment they found the boys missing, leaving him alone to try and deal with his brothers alone.

Not cool Bro. Not. Cool. At all.

“Gabriel, you need to calm down before you scare Adam. You know he doesn’t particularly enjoy raised voices.”

Oh look. Big bro decided to come back. Turning around quickly, Gabriel was more than ready to give Lucifer a piece of his mind, until he saw the woman standing beside him.

She was a heavyset, middle aged woman of African descent, with a sense of power about her similar to Sam’s. She looked around the room for a moment, before turning to Lucifer.

“You weren't kidding, I can feel that boy's power from here. And he's locked in his head you said?” She asked, waiting for the nod from both Gabriel and Lucifer before walking into the living room, passing right by Michael and Raphael with little more than a nod of respect.

Gabriel decided instantly that he likes this woman.

“I'll see what I can do for Sam. Can one of you bring me something for Adam to play with? And while you're at it, let me see Adam for a bit. Poor dear could use a good cuddle from someone who isn't panicking.” As soon as she finished talking, Gabriel found himself moving to hand Adam to her. She was right, all that was going to happen if he held him much longer was that Adam would start fussing.

As she sat on the couch, Lucifer entered, having gone and retrieved Adam’s stuffed puppy. “Here you go, Adam’s puppy.” Lucifer supplied, before setting it on the table in front of the woman. “Give me a few moments, and I’ll bring Sam down. He’s in your room, isn’t he?” He asked, and waited just long enough for Gabriel to nod before leaving.

The woman smiled, before turning to Michael and Raphael. “Well don’t just stand there boys, make yourselves useful! Go see if you can find any trace of who did this! If you can get me a name, I can find them easier!” She ordered, much to Gabriel’s endless amusement, and Lucifer’s astonishment, well, if his face was anything to go off of.

The woman turned to face Gabriel, ignoring Michael and Raphael as they left the living room at last. “Now then, My name’s Missouri, and I’m mostly here to try and help you with Sam, and see if that bond he’s got with Dean is strong enough to be able to get a general location for the boys.” She explained,  and Gabriel found himself nodding.

It had been close to three hours. Any help was welcome at this point, and this psychic was definitely more than welcome. And besides, anyone who could boss Michael and Raphael around and get away with it was solidly on his good side.

Sorry bros, but sometimes you need to be put in your place. And that place is in school, where you can learn to respect humans for the unique, awesome, totally weird beings they are.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of an explination about the last chapter. I literally posted it at 4 in the morning, after having been woken up by my dad leaving for work, and having only gotten an hour of sleep. Hence the strange note.
> 
> But yeah, the day after that, after sleeping for a while, I managed to bust this chapter out in about two hours. I was gonna wait until Friday to post it, but then I got bored. So that's how my week has been.

If he closed his eyes, it felt like he was flying, not just sitting on a swing, rocking back and forth in a repetitive motion that was soothing. The breeze through his hair was amazing, and the warmth of the sun on his face was nearly perfect.

Nearly perfect, and only truly missing the solid thumps against his back as his brother would push him as hard as he could, goaded on through childish insults and giggles shared only between them.

But his brother had stopped being able to push him when his younger brother had came into the picture, the same way the trips to the park had slowly stopped in the months leading up to it.

He didn’t blame either of his brothers for the gradual decay of the joy and innocence that had come from the shattered remnants of his childhood, such things could hardly be their faults. The fault fell to the one who called himself their father, and dragged them around the country searching for something he didn't understand in the slightest.

And yet, the more he thought about such things, the more blurry and difficult to grasp they became. Perhaps he wasn’t ready to think about them.

And so he continued to swing. And after some time, such things as that were lost to him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After he had brought Sam downstairs to the psychic Missouri, Lucifer set to work in the boys’ room, searching for any trace of the scum that had stolen Dean and Castiel from their bed.

Whoever had done it had been smart, there was little trace left behind. No footprints, no fingerprints, just a napkin that was almost completely covered with a drug, likely a strong anesthetic to be able to keep Castiel from waking.

But that raised even more concern. A dose large enough to keep a fledgling asleep was enough to disarm a full grown human. If the one behind the kidnapping had used the same amount on Dean, then the kidnapper had a very real likelihood of severely endangering the boy.

Taking a deep breath, he tried his best to remain calm. Panicking wouldn’t help the boys return home any sooner, and with Michael and Raphael watching as closely as they were, he knew that this was his chance to prove himself a good Guardian for the boys, and a good Caretaker for Castiel.

There had to be a trace of who their kidnapper was, and he had to find it. His boys needed him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Walking through a forest, he smiles softly as he crouched under some low branches. The forest was peaceful, a gentle breeze shifting everything as it made it’s way through the gaps between the trees, causing leaves and branches alike to sway as it went. The light of the setting sun filled the forest with a soft glow, covering the area with a nearly magical golden glow.

Coming across a river, he jumped across the large, flat rocks that were sticking out of the water, taking care not to fall. Rivers and streams were usually cold this time of year, and it wouldn’t be good if he got wet, because he would likely get sick, and that would put more stress on his brother to make him better.

Another breeze moved through the area, this time carrying with it a soft whisper of- wait, was that his name? Was someone there? The thought only distracted him a moment, but it was enough for him to lose his balance, and fall backwards into the river, getting swept away into the icy blackness.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

It was subtle, but it was there. Tainted with DNA from Dean and Castiel’s vessel, was traces of the kidnapper’s DNA, from where they had either handled it carelessly, or perhaps a mistake when drugging Castiel.

Lucifer couldn’t care less. With how little evidence there was that the scum had even been there, he was more than happy to have found what he did. He flew to the living room - because who had time for stairs, his boys were missing - ready to show Gabriel what he had found, but instead found his brother asleep on the large chair that usually went to Lucifer when they were watching television, Adam sitting on his lap playing with his stuffed dog, and Missouri bent over Sam, trying her hardest to draw the boy out of his head.

Knowing he couldn’t in good conscence rouse Gabriel when he had so clearly spent all of his energy trying to find Dean and Castiel on the property, Lucifer flew away silently. He would’ve prefered to have his brother’s help, but he could still find the human the DNA belonged to by himself. It would just take a bit longer.

Haunted by thoughts of just how badly things could go wrong in the time it took for him to track down one human among billions, he pleaded with a Father he hadn’t thought of in literal ages, begging for his boys to be safe when he finally found them. Otherwise, he didn’t know what he would do.

 

* * *

 

When he opened his eyes, he found himself not in his room, or the forest surrounding the house. Instead, he found himself in a flat, nearly featureless clearing, filled with dead grass, and strange stones standing out of the ground in seemingly random places.

As he glanced around the area, he saw a man. The man was tall, with soft looking brown hair that reached to his shoulders. He walked past him, seemingly not noticing him as he went. He continued on until he stood before one of the stones, before placing a previously unseen bouquet of flowers in front of it.

It was then that he understood. He wasn’t in a clearing, at least not one in the traditional sense.

He was in a graveyard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some notes about the next chapter. It's either going to be the semifinal or final chapter of this particular story, and may take some time before it's finished, largely due to two things.
> 
> First, I'm trying to find a job. And due to school starting back soon, there's a rather good chance that I'll have a job within the next few weeks, thus killing a large portion of my free time. I won't abandon this, but it will have an impact on my writing speed.
> 
> Second, The next chapter is going to be long. Like, likely over 4,000 words long. There's a lot that needs to happen, and it's going to take time to make sure that it's something I can be proud of.
> 
> So, because there's no real way of telling when the next chapter will be up, I leave you with some hints for what to expect in the next chapter.
> 
> The kidnapper's identity. And trust me, it's not who you think it is.  
> Sam's vision from a little while back. Featuring borrowed lines from a rather popular episode, and a setting that has been avoided, but could have easily been.  
> And finally, tying the timeline gap between the current point in the story and a ficlet I did months ago. Things are falling into place at last.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. This is the real chapter 7, not another note complaining about real life. There is some of that though, but that's reserved for the end notes. I hope you enjoy the chapter, despite it taking so long to be written, and thank you for your patience. Reasons why it took so long will be in the end notes if you wish to know.

It was in a bar not even a hundred miles away that he found the kidnapper. He was sitting in the corner near the pool tables, drinking expensive whiskey and bragging about a hunt he had been on recently, never once letting slip that his prey was far from being a deer or rabbit.

Walking over to the bar, Lucifer ordered glass of one of the beers that had been brewed nearby, and set in for a rather long night of watching the man. Hopefully he would leave soon, and lead Lucifer to where the boys were, but that was rather unlikely. In fact, it was more likely that Michael and Raphael would leave the places in the bar where they had taken up watch.

And hadn’t that been a rather pleasant surprise, for the two of them to decide to help him retrieve his boys. To be fair, it was probably just so they could make sure that he didn’t kill any random humans, but the thought of his brothers having his back was welcoming to say the least.

Nearly an hour passed, before the scum - Lucifer refused to think of him as a human. The boys had shown him the good, but that didn’t mean he had to accept the bad - walked over to the bar, waving for a someone to assist him.

“You’ve been staring at me most of the night stranger. Is something the matter?” He asked, and Lucifer fought to keep his calm exterior. To say that something was the matter would be quite the understatement.

Instead, Lucifer shook his head, allowing some of his Grace to soften his words, making himself appear more friendly to the scum. “A slight misunderstanding on my part I’m afraid. You see, you look much like someone who recently stole several highly valuable things from me, but now that you are closer, I can tell that you aren’t the one who did it.”

The man nodded at that, and Lucifer wondered just how far he could push things before he would run. “Guess I just have one of those faces. I’ll keep an eye out for the guy if you want me to. What did he take anyway? I’ve got some contacts that might just be able to help.”

Lucifer honestly couldn’t believe how stupid this mortal was. Was he legitimately attempting to help recover what was lost, or was he just too drunk to think straight? 

Deciding that he had nothing left to lose, he sighed softly, catching the discrete eye roll that he got from Michael at the display. “He took my most valuable possessions, the things I value most in the world.” He paused then for dramatic effect, finishing off his drink before turning back to the man, face as pathetic as he could make it appear. “He broke into my home, and stole my children from me.”

He watched as the man’s eyes filled with barely veiled terror, his face hardening as he continued. “But the thing is, I know who he is, and I’m getting closer to him with every passing moment. And believe me, I will find what was stolen from me, and I will make the one who stole them pay for his sins.”

 

* * *

  
  


Castiel sat in the corner of the barren room that he and Dean were trapped in, trying his hardest to stay calm. Since they had first been locked in the room, the person who had kidnapped them hadn’t come back at all, despite the fact that it had been more than twelve hours since they had been left here.

In that time, Dean had woken several times more, and each time he was less lucid than the last, leading them to where they were now, with Dean staring blankly into the darkness he couldn’t see through.

One of the ways he had been passing the time had been telling Dean stories of his life before he had tumbled into the forest surrounding Gabriel’s house. Tales that Balthazar had told him of the Heaven of Ages past, of the older brothers that he thought that he would never meet, yet had found a home with.

He had tried his hardest to fit in in Heaven, but just as his older brothers hadn’t quite fit in, he had just been too strange, too different for the rest. But with Dean and Sam, he had found not just a home, but a family that accepted him regardless of his differences.

But now, as he sat in a dark, barren room, Dean unresponsive next to him, he couldn’t help but notice that the acceptance had likely been the determining factor in his being where he was now. Not that he would change anything if he could, to leave Dean to face this by himself would be cruel, but prior knowledge that their captor was to come would have been good to have.

The only good thing about the entire situation was that the man that had taken them had no idea that Gabriel was an angel, and hadn’t warded the room that they were in properly. The warding that Castiel could sense was strictly for pagans, and wouldn’t hide them from either of their guardians should they look into the room.

As the air conditioning kicked on, filling the room with wave upon wave of cold air, Castiel pulled Dean as close as possible, trying to keep him warm as the temperature in the room began to drop.

For the time being, they were mostly ok. But if they weren’t found soon, Dean might not be ok for too much longer.

 

* * *

 

Sam watched as the tall man knelt in front of the gravestone for quite some time, gently brushing dried leaves and twigs off of the ground around it in order to make room for the flowers, which at a closer glance appeared to be white roses.

As Sam drew closer to the man, he heard him speak softly, af if unaware that anyone was watching.

“I suppose today is the day, isn’t it, brother?”

There was the sound of wings flapping, and Sam turned to see another man, this one shorter than the other, with short blond hair.

“I suppose it is.” The second man replied, standing off to the side, away from the first. He also seemed to ignore Sam,content to stare at the other.

Some time passed in silence, before the first man looked up from the roses towards the other. “It’s good to see you Michael.”

“You too.” The second man, Michael by the sound of things, sighed softly before continuing. “Can you believe it’s finally here?”

The first man turned back to the grave and roses, frowning slightly. “No, not really.”

Silence filled the graveyard once more, and Sam found himself moving to sit next to the first man. Something about him was comforting when compared to the other man, and Sam was willing to take whatever he could get.

Time passed, before Michael spoke once more. “Are you ready?”

All too soon, the first man stood, turning to face the other. “As I’ll ever be.” After sighing, the man looked at the other sadly. “I wish we didn’t have to do this, no matter what any other may have told you.”

“You know we must do this!” Michael snapped, startling Sam at the harshness of the words. “You know full well that I had no other choice after what you did!”

The first man looked hurt, clearly upset by the other’s words. “If you would stop blaming me for a moment, you could see that this isn’t my fault!” He took a breath, holding up a hand to keep the other from speaking. “Think about it, Dad made everything, right? That means he made me to be this way! God wanted a Devil, and he got one! Do you really think I asked for this!?”

Sam stared at the first man in a mixture of shock and confusion. Was this man saying he was Lucifer? Luci had explained how he and Gabe had to use vessels when around humans, but he also said that they were both in vessels that were built specifically for them. Why would he be in a different vessel than the one he had?

“You think I wish to do this?! Do you honestly believe that I wish to kill my brother, the one I used to love, and watched the creation of the universe with?! You betrayed me! Betrayed our Father! And now I have no choice but to kill you, and hope that in doing so I won’t destroy the shreds of the family I have left!” The man, Archangel, whatever he may be, sounded as if using his anger to hide his tears, and ran his hands through his hair in a motion that was far too human.

Lucifer, if it really was him, sighed, and gazed at the other with sad eyes that could only be compared to a sad puppy. “Then don’t do it. I don’t want to do this any more than you do. Let’s just walk off the chessboard together, no more fighting, no more following orders, just the two of us. Please Michael, I don’t want to do this. I never have. Can’t we just…. Try to be brothers again?”

Michael seemed to struggle with his thoughts for several moments, before shaking his head, eyes filled with a mixture of hurt and hatred. “I can’t do that. I have my orders, and I will follow them. I must kill you, regardless of me feelings on the matter.”

Lucifer closed his eyes, a single tear trailing down his cheek. “If that is the way that things must be.”

And with that, the two charged at each other, sending debris flying across the area as they attacked each other ruthlessly, heedless of the damage that was being done, or that Sam was watching, cowering off to the side, unable to look away from or leave the battle that was slowly destroying both the landscape and the two that were fighting.

 

* * *

 

“There we are. Gabriel, I think I know what’s goin’ on here with your boy.”

Upon hearing those words, Gabriel quickly flew from the kitchen into the living room, kneeling next to the couch where Missouri and Sam were. “Please, I need to know what’s happening to him.” He begged, eyes filling with tears as he gazed up at the psychic.

She smiled sadly, placing a gentle hand on his head. “Right now, I can tell you that this isn’t the doing of someone else. This is Sam’s powers to him, not someone attacking him. You hear me?” She asked, waiting for Gabriel to nod before continuing. “Now, it seems that your boy’s stronger than either you or your brother anticipated, in more ways than one. Not only is his mind very well defended for one his age, but his visions are allowing him to see not just what might be, but what might have been, and what was avoided.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened, knowing the implications of what Missouri was saying. What Sam was doing wasn’t just getting glimpses of what could happen to himself and others, but he was seeing into other timelines. Which had been thought to only be possible for a select few Angels that were gifted with such abilities, as well as the Archangels and the Father. For a human to have that ability, yet alone one so young was supposed to be impossible.

Gabriel nodded, gesturing for Missouri to continue, before placing a hand on Sam’s head, wishing he were capable of taking away Sam’s pain so he could be a normal child. “From what I’ve seen from other psychics that grew into their powers young, the overload is fairly normal. The severity and duration can vary from child to child, and from power to power, but if he isn’t awake by tomorrow, or if his visions haven’t calmed at the very least, then we’ll have to reevaluate what is happening with him.”

Gabriel sighed, before nodding. “And there’s nothing we can do to help the process along?”

“I’m afraid not. In the meantime, I can tell that you enjoy sweets, and I know a mighty fine recipe for chocolate chip cookies that will knock your socks off.” Missouri promised, standing up from where she was sitting on the couch, holding out a hand to help Gabriel up from the floor.

Gabriel smiled weakly, accepting the help she was offering. “I don’t know, I’ve had some seriously good chocolate chip cookies since they were first invented.” He warned, waving a hand to spread a blanket across Sam before leading the aging woman into the kitchen. “It’ll take a good bit to knock my socks off.”

Missouri smiled, clasping Gabriel’s hand firmly. “Then I’ll just have to make sure that they’re the best cookies that I can make, won’t I? Now, I’m going to need bread flour, eggs, butter, vanilla, white sugar, brown sugar, and some milk.”

As he began pulling out the ingredients that Missouri was listing off, everything seemed that it would be alright, at least for a little while. Sam was in the living room, where no one would be capable of getting to him, Lucifer, Michael, and Raphael were searching for Dean and Cas, and he was helping to make cookies at four thirty in the morning.

He couldn’t help but be in a good mood, and though he knew that the good mood would eventually fade, he didn’t care. He needed a break from the stress of the last evening, and he was ready to accept the fact that the situation was entirely out of his control at this point. All he could do was wait for Sam to wake up, and wait for his brothers to bring word of the other boys.

 

* * *

  
  


Fully hidden from the eyes of mortals, Lucifer wouldn’t deny his pleasure at seeing the mortal’s rising panic if one of his brothers were to ask.

The man was pacing in the parking lot of the bar, talking hurriedly into a phone. “No man, you don’t get it, I think this guy knows!” He paused, listening to whoever was on the other end. “I’m being serious here! Swear to God, this job is too much. I’m done.”

There was the muffled sound of shouting from the other end of the call, and the man lowered his voice. “Look, I took the damn kids, I hid them in the motel you wanted, and I made sure they couldn’t get out. But I ain’t gonna put myself at risk if one of those things you made me take ‘em from hunts me down. They’re at the place you told me to put them, but I ain’t going back there, and I ain’t going anywhere near them. Don’t call me again Winchester, and don’t expect to be welcome anywhere near a hunter haven ever again, because I will be tellin’ them all what you had me do.”

With that, the man slammed the phone closed, and threw it across the parking lot. He continued to pace for a time, before running his hands through his hair and groaning. “Damn it Walker, you knew that this was a bad idea the minute that WInchester called you, but you just had to owe him that favor from last time, didn’t you?”

There it was, the man revealed his name, or at least part of it, and Lucifer didn’t even have to read his mind for it. Though it made his life slightly easier, it still remained that the man swore not to return to where he had left the boys. And when a sweep over the man’s mind revealed nothing of the motel that the boys had been left in, Lucifer realized he still had a long way to go before his family would be safe and sound again.

He wasn’t about to back down though. He had seen what the realization that the boys were gone had done to Gabriel, and he wasn’t going to sit around and allow his younger brother to be destroyed by his grief if the two weren’t to return.

Watching the man drive away, Lucifer finally spoke. “Raphael, follow him. Michael, return to Gabriel. Tell him that I know who took the boys. Return after, and take the north end of town. I doubt he would have strayed far from where he hid them before now, and there’s no telling what condition they may be in by now.” He commanded, not waiting to see if his brothers would so what he asked of them before flying to the south end of the town.

He had a bad feeling that the boys were in growing danger, and with the night being as cold as it was, it was likely that Dean could become seriously ill if the right caution hadn’t been taken before the kidnapper had left. The boy had been improving, but the neglect had taken it’s toll on him, and the effects were slow to reverse, especially in regards to his rather fragile immune system.

If he couldn’t find them soon, there was no way of telling what he would find, or how long it would take for them to recover.

And so he searched. Flying over the vast space of the city in moments, before diving to fly between the buildings and structures, searching each one for a sign that the two that had so changed him had been anywhere near the area before moving to the next one.

He had been searching for nearly twenty minutes, when Michael’s Grace reached out towards his own, obviously holding back rage that was all too familiar.

_ “Brother, I have found them. Come gather them before I cause harm to them in my fury.” _

Lucifer flew to his brother the instant the communication finished, kneeling next to the unconscious young ones in the frigid room. Dean was obviously worse off, being more fragile than Castiel was, though Castiel’s grace was nearly depleted, likely due to trying to keep Dean safe.

As tempted as he was to hunt down the man that had abandoned the boys to freeze in a dirty motel room, chained to the bed with no food or water in reach, he knew that they needed to get them to safety.Then he and Michael could hunt down the one responsible for placing Dean and Castiel in their current states.

“Raphael should still be hunting the kidnapper. The man behind the attack was John Winchester. The moment the boys are safe, you and I will show him exactly what happens when one threatens an Archangel’s family.” He growled, before gently lifting Dean into his arms. He carefully warmed his Grace, knowing that he was more likely to make the situation worse if the frost of his slightly less fractured Grace were not tempered.

As soon as Michael had Castiel in his arms, the pair flew back to Gabriel’s home. The night had been long, but the dawn was coming swiftly, and with it, the safety of his family grew more and more guaranteed.

But first, to deal with the one who had dared to touch the pair, and to ensure that their failure of a father would never again be capable of harming those that he had so carelessly neglected and mistreated. It had been far too long since he was required to defend the youngest of the Flock from harm, and nearly as long since he was able to work together with his elder brother. Despite the circumstance, he found that he couldn’t wait to serve justice upon those that dared touch what belonged to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. This chapter was originally going to be much longer. What you have above is only half of what I wanted this chapter to be. But real life kicked me in the gut, curb stomped me, and proceeded to light me on fire for good measure.
> 
> Without going into too much detail, I had the chapter a bit shorter than it ended up being, and was going to write the other half of what I had planned, when my dad ended up having to go to the hospital and stay there for a week and a half due to needing his gallbladder removed, as well as a number of other complications. On top of that, I still had work, as well as a number of various responsibilities and obligations that all seemed to require my attention all at once. As such, I lost my motivation to write this chapter for quite a while, choosing to focus more on my family as well as my original novel. It took a friend who reads this reminding me that I had to finish this story to finally get me to finish the section that I was working on, and even that took several days.
> 
> My dad is better now, but things are still fairly stressful in real life for me, so I'm sorry if updates come slower for a time while I get used to not only more responsibility, but also trying to figure out how to handle thing as they come.
> 
> Once again, thank you all for your patience, kind words, and support. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I'll get to work on the next chapter soon.


	8. Chapter 8

The moment that Michael and Lucifer appeared in the house, Raphael closely behind, the tentative peace shattered. The batch of cookies that Gabriel and Missouri had finished baking were abandoned on the counter, the ingredients left strewn across the kitchen, and the remaining dough left to warm and go bad in the chaos that the house flew into as they all attempted to care for the children all at once.

Dean was quickly diagnosed with pneumonia and dehydration, as well as having a vast overload of sedatives strong enough to take down an elephant. Quite simply, it was a miracle that he was still alive.

Castiel wasn’t much better off, for after having used up nearly all of his Grace in an attempt to protect Dean, he too became vulnerable to the freezing conditions of the room, and while he would survive it, it was still uncertain how long it would take for him to recover the use of his Grace.

Sam was still trapped inside his own mind, forced to endure visions of what has been, what might be, and what could have been.

The only child that was remotely alright was Adam, who was growing more and more upset at being awoken from his sleep, then being bombarded with all kinds of strange sounds and smells.

Now that they knew both the identity of the kidnapper, as well as who was behind the theft, the Archangels left Missouri to care for the children as they went to enact their revenge.

All the while, they were all unaware of the final, hidden figure watching from the corner of the room.

He watched as the eldest of His children left, frowning at the state of the children. He knew that His Healer didn’t miss the vast amount of injuries, both physical and mental, that covered both Sam and Dean, and didn’t doubt for a moment that the one that dared inflict such harm upon mere children would not be treated gently by any stretch of the imagination. The usually gentle and kind Healer had grown cold and distant over the years, leaving much to be desired in the way of care. But now, when faced with a younger sibling he hadn’t known existed, and children that were so harmed by their parent, his mannerisms were returning to what they used to be.

The Healer wasn’t the only one to be changing though. Not at all.

He had taken quite the risk by releasing The Morningstar from his Cage far earlier than was planned, and it was only made more of a risk when He had placed him so close to his True Vessel. But despite all odds, the twisted shell of an Archangel had begun to turn back into what he used to be, not only treating Castiel much the same as he had treated the Fledglings back in Heaven, but learning to accept the human children as members of a Flock!

It wasn’t as if He wasn’t proud of his children for growing the way they were, but the entire situation was strange from the moment that John Winchester had met Kate Milligan by chance several years before it had been planned to. John had kept the boys close by, stopping hunting for the months of the pregnancy, but had quickly returned to his ways after the woman was killed by the children of the ghoul that had led to him meeting her.

The neglect of his children only grew from there, until he had finally learned exactly what had killed Mary. Deciding that what had happened that night was the cause of Sam’s strange powers, he had sought to sell the boy to one of the many pagan gods walking the Earth in exchange for the Demon Azazel’s death.

Not a one of the pagans that he had tried to bargain with had been willing to take just the one child in exchange for what he wanted. Not until he found himself in Loki’s Hall on the night of the Summer Solstice that is, and quickly lost all of his children as a result of the years of abuse and neglect that they had been made to endure.

And hadn’t that been fitting? The Archangel of Justice, His Messenger, had been disguising himself as a mere pagan all these years, fulfilling his duty of Justice, as well as aiding those that needed it with little more than a snap of his fingers! That particular child of His had always been crafty, and while He wasn’t pleased that he had run about calling himself a ‘god’, He was still proud of how he had grown since they both had left.

As Missouri picked up Adam and left the room, muttering about the mess that had been left downstairs, He left the corner where He was standing and made His way to the bed where the children were laying. There was little that He could do about Dean and Castiel’s conditions without alerting his Archangels that someone had been near the children, He could still help to ease Sam’s suffering.

Placing His hand upon Sam’s head, He guided the boy’s powers into place, leaving him in a peaceful sleep that would be undisturbed until the Archangels returned. At least, that had been the plan.

Against all expectation, the moment He turned to walk away, Sam turned and looked up at Him, eyes blurry with exhaustion. He smiled then, whispering gentle words to the boy. Words of what he and his brother had avoided by showing their guardian how to love once more, what they had gained by doing so, and what would await them in the future, if only they were strong enough to bear it. The boy’s eyes closed slowly, and He found Himself shaking His head. Clearly, these children would be interesting individuals indeed. It was only fitting though.

After all, there was the old curse commonly used among mortals to consider. ‘One day, you will have children that behave twice as bad as you did.’

And oh, did his eldest children behave wildly.

 

* * *

 

The plan had been made, and would be set in motion the moment that John Winchester left the home of Robert Singer.

They would have gone forward with their plan, save for the fact that Singer had no idea that the Trickster he was searching for had saved the children that he had taken, not stolen them like those he fought against. and punished. Add to that the fact that it was for the best to not reveal themselves to a hunter, especially one who didn’t know that Angels existed, and they were stuck waiting unseen.

_ “Michael, please tell me we can act soon.” _ Gabriel begged, and as he watched, Michael found himself sighing. Winchester would be leaving Singer’s home soon, and they would be able to make their move then.

_ “Patience brother. A moment will not prevent you from unleashing the punishment he deserves for harming your Flock.”  _ Michael smiled softly as Raphael answered for him, knowing that the bonds that had been torn so many years ago were finally beginning to mend. Time would still be needed to fully recover all that had been lost, but this morning would be the first of many steps that would hopefully eventually lead to a full recovery of those broken relationships.

Sure enough, not long passed before John was grumbling out a farewell to Robert, driving away in a car so loud, Michael wondered how he managed to go anywhere unnoticed. Not that it would matter too much by the time they were done with him.

The instant he left the last traces of civilization, Gabriel teleported him into a pocket dimension of his own making, and the true retaliation began.

First John would find himself lost on a road that never ended, and would run out of gas. Then Lucifer would pull up in a car of his own, offering to give the man a ride. The destination? The rest of the Archangels.

And his brothers played their parts perfectly. From Gabriel pretending to be a mere Pagan, to Lucifer and Raphael pretending to be mere constructs devised by a trickster, he was so proud of them for placing aside their differences in order to bring justice to one who would so harm children, regardless of the fact that they were his.

By the time it was over, Gabriel was exhausted from the emotional turmoil, and Lucifer seemed content at the justice that had been dealt.

But as John's soul began the journey towards the desolate forest of damnation where he would spend eternity, Michael noticed something about it. And while he wasn't certain about what it was, he was almost certain that it would lead to problems in the future. Taking note to investigate once he returned to heaven, he followed his brothers back to Gabriel's home, nearly as anxious as the others to ensure the children would be alright.

 

* * *

 

Dean was cold. Like, really cold. Not played out in the snow too long cold, but slept out in the snow cold. At least he thought this would be how cold sleeping out in the snow would leave you. He'd never done it, so he wouldn't know.

He tried to move further under the blankets, but something was stopping him, before something cold covered his forehead and eyes. He tried to struggle away, before he started coughing, almost incapable of movement due to the pain in his chest.

“Calm child, your panic is only making things worsen. Relax, and let what happens happen. It shall pass soon…”

True enough, the coughing fit passed shortly, leaving Dean feeling weaker than ever. “Sam…” He breathed, and the one who spoke earlier sighed softly.

“Samuel is safe, as are Adam, Castiel, and you. Rest child, and regain your strength, for the mightiest of all angels watch over you and your brothers tonight.”

As Dean sunk back into the darkness, he hoped that he would wake again soon.

 

* * *

 

“Dean woke for a moment. He seemed to have no comprehension of where he is, and is asleep once more.” Raphael’s report didn’t surprise Gabriel. It had been two days since they recovered Dean and Castiel from where they were being held, and a day since they had moved the house from central Kentucky to a small village in England with a population of about 500. Even if the room looked the same, it was possible for him to feel the difference in the area around him.

Sam tugged at his shirt, and Gabriel wasted no time in picking up the small child. “How's his fever doing?” He asked, both for his and Sam's benefit.

Sam hadn't been allowed in the room to see Dean and Cas, due to the highly contagious nature of Dean's illness, and Gabriel hadn’t been willing to leave Sam alone for a moment, leaving Raphael to watch over the boys.

Michael and Lucifer had also been giant helpers as well, constantly running back and forth to not only settle the affairs that had been abandoned in the search for the boys, but also to inform his various contacts with the Pagans that he would be out of contact for a while, telling them that he’d be back by the Winter Solstice, when he would formally introduce the boys and Castiel to the Pagan world at their yearly meeting.

Raphael sighed, reaching across to run a hand through Sam’s hair before beginning. “His fever has lowered somewhat, and his cough has slightly lessened. I suspect he will begin feeling better soon, and Castiel is not far behind him. The boys will recover soon, and I believe that Sam will be able to visit them within a few days.”

_ “They’re really gonna be ok? And we’re really safe now this time?” _ Sam asked, laying his head on Gabriel’s shoulder, melting the hearts of both Archangels.

Raphael smiled, smoothing Sam’s hair once more. “Yes child, you are all safe now. You shall never have to fear from the man that once tried to buy back his wife’s life by selling his child. You are free now from his influence, and he can never again reach you, either on his own or through the actions of others.”

After several moments, he felt Sam nod, slowly losing his own fight against sleep. Smiling, Gabriel walked over to the couch, letting Sam lay against him as he slept. 

Hopefully, the children would truly be able to find peace now that their father was no longer in this plane of existence. Escaping one torment to only have another unleashed was a fate that he would not wish upon any child, no matter how cruel they may be.

And his boys had suffered far more than their fair share of torment as it was. They truly didn’t need any more.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Unnoticed by all four of the Archangels, their Father watched, smiling at the clear evidence of how they had grown. The children would have more trials ahead of them, some by their own doing, some brought by others, but they would stick together as a family should, and find a way to get through anything.

And  that’s what family did; help each other to grow and succeed. And these children knew better than most how important family was.

After all, by just being loving siblings, they had healed the rifts between the second eldest siblings in existence.

Perhaps if His own Sibling was to ever return, They could find a way to mend Their own rifts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this particular story. I just couldn't find the motivation to write a huge thing between work, family emergencies, and the holidays, so this is pretty much just the second half of what the last chapter should have been, plus a little bit extra to actually have it lead to the one-shot I did a while back.
> 
> I'm not entirely sure when the next part of this series will be up, but I hope you all enjoyed, and I can't wait to see you all in the next one.


End file.
